What an Itchy Shelter Cat Can Teach You About Career Change

I’m a dog person.

As a solopreneur, I realized I was spending too much time talking to inanimate objects. So in the spirit of keeping my sanity, I decided it was time to get a pet. I went on the quest for a dog to keep me company during the day.

Off to the local shelter I went to check out an adorable Labradoodle puppy that was up for adoption. Needless to say, she was more popular than the easiest cheerleader in high school. When I arrived, I saw a family of four walking her. They looked like they were plucked out of a life insurance ad. I couldn’t ruin that perfection. I decided to pass on the dog.

As I was leaving the shelter, I stopped in to look at the cats. Just for shits and gigs. I’m a dog person after all.

All the cats had their butts to the front of the cages, being standoffish as cats tend to be. Except for one.

The most imperfect cat in the whole joint. He looked me square in the eye. I scratched his head. He reacted with more staring. I thought to myself, this was a cool cat.

But he had been there for nine months. He was unwanted. He had allergies that made him itchy and scratchy and dandruffy.

I gave the cat a nod and left.

A month passed. I kept thinking about the cat and checking to see if he was adopted but he was still there.

I couldn’t get this cat out of my head.

I decided to return to the shelter. I just went to check the cat out. You know, I’m a dog person after all.

The “Cat Matchmaker” [yes, this is a real gig at the shelter] brought the cat into the “Cat Socializing Room” [yes, this is a real room at the shelter], where said cat jumped right up on the table near me to be brushed. Then when he had had enough, sat down on the cat tree to stare out the window. He was affectionate, yet confident.

He found a way to claw his way into my heart. This cat would be mine.

I’m a cat person.

Things change. People change. You could be a dog person, and wake up tomorrow a cat person. I did.

When people ask you what you do for a living, you might say “I’m a [insert the job you’ve worked your whole life for]” not knowing that next year you’re going to get a job doing the exact opposite of what you do now, and be happy as a clam doing it.

Right now you could be a company man/woman, not realizing that in a few months time you’ll give your employer the finger to set out exploring the endless possibilities of entrepreneurship.

Or perhaps you are an entrepreneur on the cusp of a pivot that will take you into completely new and uncharted territory.

You just never know.

Change is like a cat.

It can be a dick.

It can piss on everything you love.

It can disrupt your life.

It can pounce when you least expect it.

It can wake you in the middle of the night.

But it can land on its feet. And so can you.

Change doesn’t care if you’re ready. It’s going to happen anyway.

So when that change walks into your life, all itchy, scratchy and imperfect, don’t fight it. It’ll probably find a way to claw its way in anyway.